Please welcome today, author John Sadler, as we learn more about him and his gripping historical fiction novel, Blood Divide.
"A blistering read ... be prepared to have scraped knuckles and bruised
ribs as you feel every punch, sword blow and parry. As an experienced
military book reviewer I was lucky, I escaped with just a black eye and
one smashed light bulb in an over-zealous bill hook lunge! A right good
rumbustious read." -- War History Online
The Book
The Battle of Flodden in September 1513 was one of the bloodiest battles
ever fought on British soil, in which James IV, King of Scots,
virtually the whole of his nobility and gentry were annihilated in an
afternoon along with 15,000 soldiers. Five centuries on and the
slaughter still occupies a core position in the Scottish nationalist
debate and in the pantheon of heroic failures. This novel puts you in
the heart of the action; you’ll feel the sweat and the fear, the curtain
of red mist. The narrative covers the period April – September 1513,
focusing around a handful of key characters: John Heron, Bastard of
Ford, swaggering, violent and disreputable, the black sheep of a good
English family; Sir Thomas Howard, leader of the English forces, a
skilled strategist; Alexander, 3rd Lord Hume, leader of the Scots, bold
but impetuous; Isabella Hoppringle, Abbess of Coldstream, hub of a web
of influential women throughout the Scottish borders, a woman of
significant influence and charisma.
Lion Fiction Paperback; 352p
ISBN: 978-1782640899
Genre: Historical Fiction
Amazon | B&N | Goodreads | Lion Hudson | Kregal | Book Depository
"Hooked from page one. Sadler is that rare phenomenon: a historian who
not only lives and breathes his period, but who can also write fiction
strong enough to stand among the best of its genre." -- Henry
Vyner-Brooks, author of The Heretic
Q&A with John Sadler
Do you share any personality traits with John
Heron, your main character?
Like John Heron, I’m a
borderer, my family have been for generations and I know the region, it’s
history, myth and reality intimately. I’m familiar with arms and armour,
weapons and fighting styles of the period, though I’m happy to say it’s there
the resemblance stops!
Do you have to be alone or have quiet to write?
Yes, I
like to write in silence and solitude, can’t bear background noise, no TV,
radio etc.
Favorite place?
Hard to say a few – Glencoe in the
highlands which I’ve also written up (non-fiction).
What is your favorite non-writing
pastime?
I do a
great deal of lecturing but also living history, historical interpretation and
period drama – I like dressing up and playing with swords….
What else have you
written?
I’ve some
thirty titles in print and have written commissioned drama and short stories – Blood Divide is my first full length
commissioned fiction.
Do you work to an
outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?
I tend to
draft an outline with main characters and chapter heading identified, use that
as a skeleton and then add the flesh as I go.
What are three things people may not know about
you?
·
-I dress up a lot
·
-I have a considerable
collection of arms and armour
·
-I drive a collection of
military vehicles
Which writer has inspired you?
Bernard Cornwell
Give us an insight
into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
He is both outlaw and law officer
If you could be any character from literature,
who would it be?
Jack Aubrey
What is your favorite movie based on a book,
where you preferred the movie?
Apocalypse Now
What is your favorite book and why?
Wuthering Heights – read it when I was
young – wonderful
What is your favorite quote?
History is but a fable agreed upon – Napoleon
Bonaparte
What is your favorite film and why?
Charge of the Light Brigade (1967, Tony
Richardson, director), best historical realisation ever
Which famous person, living or dead would you
like to meet?
Winston
Churchill
If you could have been the original author
of any book, what would it have been and why?
Probably O’Brien
and Master & Commander –
re-defined the historical genre
My Five Favorite Authors and Why:
- Bernard Cornwell - re-created the genre
- Patrick O'Brien - defines the genre
- George MacDonald Fraser - successful with fiction and non-fiction
- Alain Furst - perfectly captures the uncertain Europe of the 1930's
- David Downing - superb wartime series from a largely German perspective
Connect with the Author
John Sadler is an experienced military historian, a fellow of the Royal
Historical Society, and the author of more than two dozen books. He is
also a much traveled battlefield tour guide covering most major
conflicts in the UK, Europe, and North Africa.
Do you have any questions for the author?
Feel free to ask!
